What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
In a context of dwindling biodiversity, Swiss voters will deceide on September 22 on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of species and ecosystems. Have your say on the vote and the wider issue of biodiversity.
The “biodiversity initiative”, launched by conservationists and environmental groups, calls for boosted funding and more protected areas in Switzerland.
The backers of the initiative say it’s necessary to act now to prevent the extinction of numerous species, which would lead to huge costs. Opponents say the proposal is extreme and inefficient.
What do you think? Is it time for Switzerland and other countries to take more measures to protect biodiversity? What are the solutions?
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Swiss ‘biodiversity initiative’: extreme or essential for protecting nature?
It seems that Switzerland has given up being a nation and prefers to become a barren agricultural periphery of Europe, its transit pass and playground. Biodiversity here has collapsed irreversibly, decades of grandeur, of incessant exploitation of the few fragile resources condensed into a few square kilometres of land, have made it a ghostly place, where asphalt borders on manure and manure borders on houses, where there is no more life apart from herds of livestock and Hollywood-style farms. Money poured in to obey the barons of extreme exploitation. The great flaw of the activists was that they did not show the drama in pictures. It would have been shocking. But not enough against those who must deny the evidence at all costs. Biodiversity is dead, so it is of no use, this is the logic of those who run a country that has never excelled in culture and ideals but has only ever obeyed the money, initiativists included.
Sembra che la Svizzera abbia rinunciato ad essere una Nazione e preferisca diventare una arida periferia agricola dell'Europa, il suo passo di transito e il suo campo di gioco. La biodiversità qui ha avuto un crollo irreversibile, decenni di grandeur, di sfruttamento incessante delle poche fragili risorse condensati in pochi km2 di territorio, ne hanno fatto un luogo spettrale, dove l'asfalto confina col letame e il letame con le case, dove non c'è più vita oltre a mandrie di animali da reddito e fattorie holliwoodiane. Soldi sparsi a piene mani per obbedire ai baroni dello sfruttamento estremo. La grande pecca degli iniziativisti è stata quella di non mostrare il dramma capillarmente, mostrandolo in immagini. Sarebbe stato shoccante. Ma non abbastanza contro chi deve negare l'evidenza a tutti i costi. La biodiversità è morta, quindi non serve, questa è la logica di chi gestisce un Paese che non ha mai brillato per cultura e ideali ma ha sempre e solo obbedito al soldo, iniziativisti compresi.
Several ways can save biodiversity, 1) stop taking away land with solar and wind particularly wind farms on mountains which destroy the ecosystem and kill fauna such as birds and bats. 2) install more nuclear power to give more electric power in small areas and gives more reliable power 24/7/365 and replace existing solar and wind 3) stop or severely reduce immigration 4) allow CO2 to make farming more productive and allow wild areas to grow more 5) put more roads and rail through tunnels and remove existing roads and rail which are bypassed so wild areas can grow over them. 6) remove feral animals (eg boars) which can destroy wild areas. 7) do not allow activist "Greens" to determine any government policy.
What annoys me is the contempt that the Greens and city-dwellers have for agriculture. The way the Greens cast doubt on everything, without knowing what is really being done. That's another reason why they lost the last elections. There's always room for improvement. Since 1992, agriculture has changed much more than in neighbouring countries and faraway countries, which supply us with 50% of our food. Every second in Switzerland, 1 m2 of farmland is given over to construction. This is the main reason why certain species are disappearing for lack of space. But the Greens, who always want to increase the population and build more and more housing, sports facilities and so on, don't see the disasters coming. But the Greens, who always want to increase the population, build more housing, more sports facilities, etc., don't see the future disasters coming, lack of water, food, electricity, in this country, 50% of which is made up of lakes and rocks. Come and see the farm near me, non-organic, with wheat crops, cows grazing in the pastures, buffer zones at the edge of the forests, birds, deer and lots of flowers in the fields. Modern, viable agriculture, with a lot of hard work and a keen sense of respect for nature and dairy cattle.
Ce qui m'énerve, c'est le mépris des Verts et des citadins vis à vis de l'agriculture. La manière des Verts de douter de tout, sans savoir ce qui se fait réellement . C'est aussi pour cela qu'ils ont perdu lors des dernières élections. Tout est perfectible, depuis 1992, l'agriculture s'est transformée bien plus que dans les Pays environnants et des Pays lointains, qui nous fournissent le 50 % de notre nourriture . Chaque seconde, en Suisse, 1 m2 de terre agricole est voué à la construction. C'est bien et surtout pour cela que certaines espèces disparaissent, par manque de place . Mais les Verts, qui désirent toujours augmenter la population, construire de plus en plus de logements, de places de sports, etc. , ne voient pas venir les désastres futurs, manque d'eau, de nourriture, d^électricité , dans ce Pays, dont le 50% est constitué de lacs et de rochers. Venez voir la ferme proche de chez moi, non bio, avec des cultures de blé, des vaches qui broutent les pâturages, les zones tampons au bord des forêts, les oiseaux, les chevreuils et de nombreuses fleurs des champs. Agriculture moderne, viable, avec beaucoup de travail et un sens aigu du respect de la nature et du bétail laitier.
Hello. I'm... Delighted to. Join. The ssaciation. Protection. De. La nature et. De l'environnement. Mes. Greetings
Bonjour. Je. Ravi de. Joindre. La ssaciation. Protection. De. La nature et. De l'environnement. Mes. Salutations
Switzerland is in the best of class for the promotion and protection of nature. It should, instead of continuing to squander citizen's money on initiatives that really do come across as extreme and expensive, invest in countries that have a huge need to create a culture for nature protection. With the money wasted in Switzerland, the impact in poor countries would be enormous. These initiatives, which are often incoherent for the intiativists themselves (energy initiatives that want to invest in hydroelectricity and photovoltaics versus biodiversity that want to freeze all building outside clearly demarcated areas, for example), do not create culture, but only polarise between proponents and opponents. The extreme protection of biodiversity would create imports, traffic, pollution and loss of care for the land (mountain agriculture treated equal to the intensive agriculture of Europe)...
La Svizzera fa parte dei best of class per la promozione e protezione della natura. Dovrebbe, invece di continuare a sperperare denaro del cittadino in iniziative che davvero si presentano come estreme e costosissime, investire in paesi che hanno un bisogno enorme di creare cultura per la protezione della natura. Con i soldi sprecati inSvizzera, in paesi poveri l'impatto sarebbe enorme. Queste iniziativa, spesso incoerenti per gli stessi inziativisti (inziativa energetica che vuole investire per l'idroelettrico e il fotovoltaico contro la biodiversità che vuole congelare ogni edificazione fuori da zone ben delimitate, per esempio), non creano cultura, ma solo polarizzazione tra fautori e contrari. La protezione estremizzata della biodiversità creerebbe importazione, traffico, inquinamento e perdita di cura del territorio (agricoltura di montagna trattata pari all'agricoltura intensiva dell'Europa)...
In the leaflet we received for the vote, it says that in the good news section - it's almost like a passage from the Gospel - it says that amphibians and dragonflies are doing well. Thank you for them. But what about the other species, both the so-called inferior animals and the supposedly superior ones? No, self-proclaimed superior?
Batrachians, does that have anything to do with the clam frogs that make donations to extremist organisations? After all, I would point out that our neighbours are becoming more and more extreme right-wing.
The solution is for each person to act according to his or her own conscience and to allow him or herself to disobey in the face of the straitjacket of one-track thinking.
Dedieu, is a human being a living being or a network?
Dans le fascicule reçu pour les votations, il est écrit qu’au chapitre bonne nouvelle - on dirait presque un passage de l’Evangile, il est écrit sur les batraciens et les libellules se portent bien. Merci pour eux. Que dire des autres espèces tant animal dit inférieur que supposé supérieur. Non, auto-proclamé supérieur ?
Batraciens, c’est en rapport avec les grenouilles de bénitier qui libellent ( Libelle en Allemand ) des dons à des organisations extrémistes ? Car je signale tout de même que nos voisins versent de plus en plus dans l’extrême-droite.
La solution c’est que chaque personne fasse en son âme et conscience et se permettre de désobéir face au carcan de la pensée unique.
Dedieu, un humain est un être vivant ou relier en réseau ?
Susan Misicka's article "Feline Felons - what to do with Switzerland's killer-cats" was well-balanced. Here in the USA we have the same debate, with the American Bird Conservancy concluding that 72% of our biodiverity decline is attributable to habitat loss, namely human encroachment on green areas. This concurs with Pro Natura director Urs Leugger-Eggimann's statement (quoted in the article) stressing that cats are not the greatest threat to biodiversity. “Climate change, the expansion of settlement areas and the intensive use of agriculture are much more problematic.”
Unfortunately the article also quotes the 2013 "research" estimating that cats kill up to 4 billion birds p.a. in the US. If this were true, we would never see a bird in the US. In a 2019 study (Science magazine), Cornell Ornithology Lab and the American Bird Conservancy estimated that there were 7.9 billion birds (all species) remaining, based on annual bird counts. That was 5 years ago. The 2013 study ("The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States" by P.Marra) is based on faulty extrapolations, not actual counts.
By the way, In New York City (NYC), 84% of dead raptors (hawks, owls, falcons) have rat poison in their system. Rats and pigeons are attracted to human waste, discarded food. Pigeons and sparrows are "invasive species" and far-outnumber (10:1) native bird species in NYC.
The cat debate is important. But in order to preserve biodiversity, we need to stay fact-based. Too much sentiment, either for or against cats, colors judgement and impedes solutions.
Thanks you from an animal-lover, cats, birds, the lot.
Sheila Massey
Every year there are new initiatives against farmers. Say it once: we don't want any more farmers in Switzerland, or winegrowers who only produce wine, or motorways and buildings that damage the landscape and biodiversity. These people deserve to go to prison, because if there is a future COVID and the borders are closed, the population will starve. So the initiators are criminals. Tell young people that we don't want any more farmers, that way it will be clear. Save on direct payments and administration. Wolves and lynxes will be left alone in the countryside, while scrub, vermin and starvation will return. That's what our Green and Left-wing elected representatives, accompanied by medieval biologists, are concocting for us.
The best thing to do would be to abolish direct payments and do what some countries do: big companies invest in huge agricultural structures, take the best, and the State takes care of the unexploited land. A fine programme in the event of a yes vote.
Chaque année de nouvelles initiatives à l'encontre des paysans. Dites une fois : on ne veut plus paysans en Suisse, ni de vignerons , qui ne produisent que du vin, ni d'autoroutes et de constructions qui abîment le paysage et la biodiversité. Ces personnes, méritent la prison, car en cas de COVID futur, et frontières fermées , la population mourra de faim. Donc les initiants, sont des criminels . Dites aux jeunes , on ne veut plus de paysan, ainsi ce sera clair. Économie de paiements directs, d'administration . Loups, Lynx , tranquilles dans nos campagnes, broussailles, vermines et famine. Voilà ce que nous concoctent nos élus Verts et de Gauche, accompagnés de biologistes moyenâgeux.
Le mieux, est de supprimer les paiements directs, faire comme dans certains Pays, soit : de grandes firmes, investissent dans d'immenses structures agricoles, prennent le meilleur , et l'Etat s'occupe des terres inexploitées. Beau Programme en cas de oui.
My country, Peru, is not only beautiful, but also MEGADIVERSE. One of the problems in maintaining this natural wealth is ILLEGAL MINING. Today, it is more of a concern than coca production. A STRONG government that is not filtered by criminal organisations is needed. There is little that can be done about this, except to hope for a strong leadership to emerge in the 2026 general elections. Hopefully voices of responsible citizen conscience will persuade political apathy.
We are a great global lung and I do NOT want us to be driven off a cliff by lousy political practices.
Mi país, el Perú, no solo es bello, sino también MEGADIVERSO. Uno de los problemas para mantener esta riqueza natural es la MINERÍA ILEGAL. Hoy en día, está preocupando más que la producción de coca. Se necesita un gobierno FUERTE que no esté filtrado por las organizaciones criminales. Es poco lo que se puede hacer al respecto, salvo esperar un liderazgo firme que se alce en las elecciones generales del 2026. Ojala que las voces de conciencia ciudadana responsable persuadan a la apatía política.
Somos un gran pulmón mundial y NO quiero que se nos lleve a un despeñadero por las pésimas prácticas políticas.
The constant expansion of blacktopped roads and public areas to serve the never ending onslaught of people coming to Switzerland must stop. I voted in favour, fully aware I might sadly be a minority vote. The buck has to stop here. Our children must learn at home and in school that it is everybody's responsibility to care for our environment. People who litter and disrespect our nature must be stopped by heavy fines and personal inconvenience. In the California it is mandatory to spend days cleaning up the side of freeways if caught driving under the influence. A portable TOI accompanies the offender each day. The same could be implemented here in CH to punish people who litter and drive under the influence. These imposed Tagessaetze at Frank 10.00 and little more are an absolute joke issued by our justice system.
Crop rotation plans, mountain pastures and living landscapes, with a forest - pasture divide, like nowhere else, thanks to the work of the mountain people, who farm this land that cannot be mechanised, and who also produce high quality food that is good for your health. Close to where I live, young roe deer, hares, harmful or irritating insects (horseflies), etc. can be found in the mountains.
On the other hand, the concreting of the land, the queues of cars, the big spending gatherings, certain devastating sports, the masses of waste scattered in the fields and forests, are very harmful to biodiversity, especially in Switzerland, with its restricted productive areas. Everything can be improved, but too many people have no knowledge of agriculture and are unfortunately becoming extremists.
Les plans d'assolement, de rotation des cultures, Les alpages et paysages vivants, avec un découpage forêts - pâturages, comme nulle part ailleurs, grâce au travail des montagnards, qui exploitent ces terres non mécanisables,et de plus produisent de la nourriture de haut niveau pour la santé . Proche de chez moi, les jeunes chevreuils, lièvres , insectes nuisibles ou énervants ( taons )
Par contre, le bétonnage du territoire , les files de voitures, les grands rassemblements dépensiers, certains sports dévastateurs , les masses de déchets éparpillés dans les champs et forêts, sont très néfastes pour la biodiversité, surtout en Suisse, avec des surfaces productives restreintes. Tout est perfectible, mais trop d'individus , n'ont aucune connaissance de l'agriculture et deviennent malheureusement extrémistes .
Boa tarde a tod@s. It is the first time that I participate. I would like to denounce that in my land they ended or, if you like, exterminated its native forests with a great biodiversity of flora and fauna, reducing it to its minimum expression. All the reforestations that have taken place over the last 25 years, especially in the last 12 years, have been of eucalyptus trees, mainly for a pulp mill in the Pontevedra estuary, and our fear has increased this year with the news that a Portuguese multinational, ALTRi, intends to build another gigantic mill that will consume 240 million litres of water a day, extracted from one of our most important rivers, and with the right to make new plantations on its gigantic land on the periphery of its enormous mill. With the treachery of the deception that it was destined to the manufacture of textile fibre, all very ecological. Published in the press of our community it was reported that Galiza had more eucalyptus trees per square metre than in its native Australia, in short we only lack the Koalas. A pity
Boa tarde a tod@s. Es la primera vez que participo. Denunciar que en mi tierra terminaron o si se quiere exterminaron con sus bosques autóctonos con una gran biodiversidad de flora y fauna, quedando reducida a su minima expresión. Todas las reforestaciones que se producen desde los últimos 25 años , especialmente en los últimos 12 son de Eucaliptos destinados fundamentalmente a una fabrica de celulosa en la ria de Pontevedra y nuestro temor aumenta este año al conocerse que una multinacional Portuguesa ALTRi pretende la construcción de otra gigantesca con consumo de 240 millones de litros de agua diarios extraídos de uno de nuestros mas importantes rios y con derecho a hacer nuevas plantaciones en su terreno gigantesco periférico a su enorme fabrica. Con la alevosía de el engaño que estaba destinada a la fabricación de fibra textil, todo muy ecológico. Publicado en la prensa de nuestra comunidad se reseñaba que Galiza tenía mas eucaliptos por metro cuadrado que en su país originario Australia, en fin solo nos faltan los Koalas. Una pena
Hello,
Thank you for taking part in our debate. Your account is really interesting and shows that the problem is global. Are any measures being taken in your country to try to safeguard native forests?
Bonjour,
Merci de votre participation à notre débat. Votre témoignage est vraiment intéressant et montre que le problème est global. Des mesures sont-elles prises dans votre pays pour tenter de sauvegarder les forêts indigènes?
Species protection begins in the private garden (if available)!
Artenschutz beginnt schon im privaten Garten (falls vorhanden) !
That's true. Do you think steps should be taken to ensure that private gardens are cultivated in a sustainable way?
C'est vrai. Pensez-vous que des mesures devraient être prises pour s'assurer que les jardins privés soient cultivés de manière durable?
One solution could be, based on the European model, areas where economic activities (including farming) and nature protection coexist. It's far from perfect, but it's better than nothing, and it's called Natura 2000.
Une des solutions pourrait être, sur le modèle européen, des zones où activités économiques (dont agricoles) et protection de la nature cohabitent. C'est loin d'être parfait mais c'est mieux que rien et ça s'appelle Natura 2000.
Biodiversity and respect for nature are fundamental to a country. It is true that the greater or lesser love a citizen has for nature reserves is relative, but the citizen's duty to respect such places should always prevail. On the other hand, the government should also find different ways to relate its inhabitants to the natural world. For example, interest in the state's native vegetation, or interest in a certain type of animal, be it mammals or reptiles, is not the same for a citizen. All of this, without disregarding the laws of animal protection of all species. To this end, it would be interesting to have programmes in which citizens, together with well-trained professionals and starting from a safe situation, would try to relate society better to the flora and fauna of their country, including the disabled or handicapped population. César De Lucas Ivorra, San Juan De Alicante, Spain
La biodiversidad y el respeto por la naturaleza son fundamentales en un país. Es cierto, que el mayor o menor amor que pueda tener un ciudadano por las reservas naturales es relativo, pero siempre debe imperar el deber del ciudadano de respetar dichos lugares. También por otro lado, el gobierno debería encontrar diversas formas de relacionar a sus habitantes con el mundo natural. Por ejemplo, no es lo mismo el interés a nivel de la vegetación autóctona del estado, o el interés por un determinado tipo de animales ya sean mamíferos o reptiles, para un ciudadano. Todo ello, sin faltar a las leyes de protección animal de todas especies. Para ello, sería interesante programas en los que la ciudadanía junto con profesionales bien capacitados y partiendo de una situación segura, intentarán relacionar a la sociedad mejor con la flora y fauna de su país, incluyendo la población discapacitada o con problemas para ello. César De Lucas Ivorra, San Juan De Alicante, España
Hello,
Thank you for your interesting contribution. Indeed, knowing more about our environment certainly helps us to protect it better.
Bonjour,
Merci de votre intéressante contribution. En effet, mieux connaître son environnement aide certainement à mieux le protéger.
All measures should be taken.
Alle Massnahmen sollten ergriffen werden.
The initiative blatantly forgets that in Switzerland there is no shortage of biodiversity at all due to the land, but only due to the reckless use of pesticides worldwide and also due to the general pollution of soil, water and air. In fact, our forests continue to grow and spread, as do our meadows and uncultivated areas, which are now abandoned because they are unattractive to mechanised-industrial agriculture.
The real objective is therefore clearly missed and consequently this proposal will almost certainly be rejected.
L'iniziativa dimentica bellamente che in Svizzera non c'è affatto carenza di biodiversità dovuta al territorio, ma solo per l'uso scriteriato di pesticidi a livello mondiale e pure per via dell'inquinamento generale di suolo, acqua e aria. Infatti le nostre foreste continuano ad accrescersi e dilagare, e pure lo fanno prati e zone incolte, ormai abbandonate perché non interessanti per l'agricoltura meccanizzata-industriale.
L'obiettivo vero è perciò chiaramente mancato e di conseguenza questa proposta verrà quasi di sicuro bocciata.
The acquisition of environmental awareness,
it is not an easy task, it is cultivated every day......
Der Erwerb von Umweltbewusstsein,
es ist keine leichte Aufgabe, sie wird jeden Tag kultiviert......
I'd advise you to work on a farm for a year, and then you'll see all the conditions required to produce, live, work 75 hours a week, pay the bills, and so on. It's not easy.
Je vous conseille de travailler un an dans une ferme , et ensuite, vous constaterai toutes les conditions exigées pour produire, vivre, travailler 75 heure/semaine, payer les factures, etc. En effet , pas facile.
Large empty lawns that are not used for sunbathing or playing. are not used for sunbathing or playing.
Grosse leere Rasenflächen ,welche nicht zu. Liegen oder Spielen benützt werden,aufheben.
Lowland farming, with its crop diversification and rotation plans required by the Confederation, works in the opposite direction to profitability in order to guarantee biodiversity. In the Alpine region, pastures, natural meadows, copses, forests, farmland and fruit trees are all highly conducive to biodiversity, including wasps, mosquitoes and many other insects, birds, deer, foxes, hares and many others. On the other hand, the banks of roads, motorways and railways, with their thistles, noxious and invasive plants and shredders used twice a summer to kill biodiversity, must stop. The disrespectful concreting of farmland to enrich the property sector is the worst enemy of biodiversity.
L'agriculture de plaine, avec la diversification des cultures, les plans de rotation exigés par la Confédération, Travaille à l'envers de la rentabilité pour garantir la biodiversité. En région alpine , Les pâturages, les prairies naturelles, les bosquets, les forêts, les ruraux, les arbres fruitiers, favorisent beaucoup cette biodiversité, y compris guêpes, moustiques, et tant d'autres insectes, oiseaux, chevreuils, renards, lièvres et bien d'autres.Par contre, les bords de routes , autoroutes, de chemins de fer, avec les chardons, les plantes nuisibles, envahissantes, les broyeuses 2 x par été pour tuer toute biodiversité doivent cesser. Le bétonnages sans respect des terres agricoles, pour enrichir le secteur de l'immobilier , est le pire ennemi de la biodiversité.
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